Dave Darrin's Second Year at Annapolis eBook

So Lieutenant Willow left Lieutenant-Commander Stearns’
presence, not quite convinced he was performing his
whole duty, but glad to bow to the decision of a ranking
officer.

Two days later Dave and Dan were surprised at being
halted by Lieutenant-Commander Stearns.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Darrin,” came the
pleasant greeting. “Good afternoon, Mr.
Dalzell. Mrs. Stearns and I would be greatly pleased
if you could take dinner with us. Couldn’t
you come next Sunday?”

The two midshipmen were astonished and delighted at
this invitation. While it was not uncommon for
officers to invite midshipmen to their homes, where
there were so many midshipmen, it was as a rule only
the young men who made themselves prominent socially
who captured these coveted invitations. Darrin
and Dalzell concealed their surprise, but expressed
their pleasure in accepting the gracious invitation.

On entering Mrs. Stearns’ drawing room the next
Sunday Mr. Darrin and Mr. Dalzell were introduced
to two pretty girls. Miss Flora Gentle was a
cousin of their hostess. She had visited Annapolis
before, and, being pretty and vivacious, at the same
time kind and considerate, she had many friends among
the midshipmen. Marian Stevens, who had accompanied
her on this visit, was a direct contrast. Flora
was blonde. Marian was the dark, flashing type.
She was spoiled and imperious, yet she had a dashing,
open way about her that made her a favorite among young
people.

The two girls had heard of the double fight.
Marian, therefore, was pleased when she found that
Dave was to be her dinner partner.

“He’s handsome,” thought the girl,
“and he’s brave and dashing. He’ll
make his mark in the Navy. He doesn’t know
it yet, but he’ll become mine, and mine alone.”

Miss Stevens was a calculating young person, and had
already decided that Navy life was the life for her
and that she would marry into it. At seventeen,
she looked upon the officers as old men, even the
youngest of them, so was giving her time and her smiles
to the midshipmen. That the Navy pay is small
did not trouble Maid Marian, as she liked to be called,
as on her twenty-first birthday she would come into
a considerable fortune of her own.

She exerted herself all through the Stearns’
dinner to captivate Dave Darrin. He, without
diminution of love and loyalty to Belle Mead, was
glad to be on friendly terms with this dashing and
sprightly girl.

Coffee was served in the drawing room. Several
officers dropped in. Marian, who wished no one
to come between her and Dave for a while, turned to
her host.

“Mr. Stearns, do the regulations make it improper
for Flora and me to ask Mr. Darrin and Mr. Dalzell
to take us for a stroll about the yard?” she
asked with a pretty air of deference. The “yard”
includes all the grounds belonging to the Naval Academy.